This solution is brushed on to specially selected art paper, dried and exposed in contact with a negative to ultraviolet light. One of the attractions of the platinumpalladium method of printing over a traditional darkroom is that the process isnt sensitive to low levels of tungsten room light. Platinum palladium printing tutorial jmf photography. The primary chemicals required for creating a palladiumplatinum print are. You can see more images that were taken with the leica monochrom from my trip to chernobyl,on my behance page.
Platinum palladium printing profiling negs his video explains the set up of digital negatives. The perfect kit for printing digital negatives in platinum and palladium. Platinum printing platinum printing is a contact process, a large format negative of the same size as the desired print size must be produced before a print is made. Platinum replaces the iron during the processing of the print. While platinum is four times the cost of palladium, platinum gives more contrast than does palladium. The learning materials include the core book in pdf format and i have created several videos that help. Platinum and palladium are two of the most inert elements in existence, which provides for the archival stability of these prints. I wrote an article on the subject for the international journal of photographic art and practice in 2010, a copy of which can be downloaded here. Recommended for digital negatives of any size and large format camera negatives of any size. Platinum and palladium printing have always been 2 of the rarest printing methods and this is only multiplied considerably in the digital age.
Platinum is an ideal candidate, as it is very permanent. Multilayer platinum printing the kosel method the art. Many printers use a combination of the two to reap the benefits of both. For platinum palladium printing, it is necessary to start from a negative. Platinum prints are more neutral but it is less significant than the difference in contrast and density of the black. Platinum palladium prints are unparalleled by any modern printing technique, both in appearance and performance. With the onset of world war i, platinum family metals were hard to come by in the u. Platinum and palladium prints from a leica monochrom. From time to time we receive a submission of original platinumpalladium prints for us to consider for lenswork. May be this will inspire me to get my platinum printing life project back up and running, and create a portfolio from this amazing trip. A method for printing photographs in these precious metals was first patented in 1855 by william willis, an englishman. By the turn of the century, platinum prints were very popular, valued for their beauty and permanence. Platinum and palladium solutions can be mixed together or used separately. It used platinum andor palladium salts instead of silver as the light sensitive material.
The platinumpalladium print most people think that printing platinum and palladium is done with precious metals, but actually we are nothing more than iron printers. One of the reasons for the soft look platinumpalladium ptpd is credited with. Quite a few people confuse this technique with either double coating. Japanese handmade paper with platinum palladium printing, which. Actually even a 10% platinum mix will give a contrast and black density boost over pure palladium. In fact, many of our customers that are not budgetconscious select palladium over platinum since it isnt inferior in any way. This is why you keep copious notes while working with a single negative and. Palladium printing jeanclaude mougin pdf picto benelux. It is a classic and timeless aesthetic that is also prized for its archival quality because the noble metals platinum and palladium are used in the lightsensitive chemical. For reasons of cost and affect, i use three or four palladium for each platinum. We also refer to prints made with platinum or palladium as platinotype and palladiotype or when. Platinum palladium prints michael strickland images.
A small quantity of platinum will give a deeper black to your image. I have been researching multilayered platinum palladium printing aswell as using the technique for a number of years now. An introduction to platinumpalladium printing by scott. Platinum prints from digital files outdoor photographer. This is the general view of the area where paper is sensitized with the platinum palladium solution. Im able to make a good print with pure palladium or with a very slight amount of contrast agent. An alternative to scanning platinumpalladium prints. While there, he watched as printer matt beaty used the platinumpalladium printing process to turn one of shields photos into a blackandwhite print that can last 1,000 years or more. For some time now ive been working to improve my platinum palladium printing techniques.
The tonal range of platinum palladium prints are unmatched, even by modern digital inkjet printers. Platinum and palladium printing is one of the easiest of the nonsilver processes to learn. In 1830, ferdinand gehlen recorded the action and effects of light on platinum chloride, noting that uv. The permanence of silver based prints was suspect, and photographers wanted a process where the image was sure to last. Platinumpalladium printing is an incredibly beautiful, tactile, and archival process. These prints are favored by art collectors due to their longevity and appearance. Platinum and palladium printing is one of the easiest of the nonsilver processes to learn and it offers a number of variations that the photographer can closely control. Like most refined nonsilver and alternative photographic processes, the art of platinumpalladium printing was developed in pieces over time by a number of dedicated artists and scientists. Modern platinum printing is an entirely handmade process. This photographer makes platinum palladium prints of. The complete second edition of this book is available in the pdf format which can. These present a particularly difficult problem for publishers because they cannot be scanned. Platinum palladium printing is a 19th century photographic process known for an extended tonal range that results in beautiful transitions from highlights to shadows. Platinum printing is a contact process, a large format negative of the same size as the desired print size must be produced before a print is made.
The process by which platinum prints are made is almost universally called the platinumpalladium process. Platinum and palladium developers and solutions platinum. I approached platinum and palladium printing for several years, driven by the search for an alternative way to print my photographs. The stepbystep format will guide the platinum or palladium printer through the multiple sensitometric, chemical, and mechanical tasks that must be mastered for consistent. Unlike the silver print process, platinum lies on the paper surface, while silver lies in a. The platinumpalladium print freestyle photographic supplies. Arentzs treatise is intended as a practical manual of instruction, providing a fully. In particular, i was looking for a system to make every single print unique, giving it unrepeatable peculiarities due to chance and my interpretation. Making a platinum palladium print that will last 1,000 years. At least one famous us printer confesses that he cant make satisfactory pure platinum prints any more by the traditional method, using ferric oxalate, as he could 15 years ago.
It begins by preparing a light sensitive solution, which contains platinum and palladium salts. However, this does not mean palladium is an inferior metal to platinum. There are probably hundreds of photographers with years of experience printing in this method who might do basics in platinumpalladium printing on vimeo. Platinumpalladium printing inkjetmall community forum. Platinum printing has been in existence for over 100. A little history like most refined nonsilver and alternative photographic processes, the art of platinumpalladium printing was developed in pieces over time by a number of dedicated artists and scientists. Since about 1990, my printing processes of choice have been platinumpalladium ptpd, and ptpd combined with gum bichromate. Platinumpalladium printing expert kerik kouklis gives us the lowdown on his favorite papers for alternative process printing. Platinum and palladium prints prints and photographs reading room, library of congress. I have been researching multilayered platinumpalladium printing aswell as using the technique for a number of years now. This is a brief intro to platinumpalladium printing. Ultra large platinumpalladium prints, september 4, 2012. The ptpd printing process was invented by william willis in the 1870s and patented commercially in 1879. This guide offers a number of variations, which the photographer can closely control.
Great for high contrast inkjet negatives, or anyone looking for that vintage look in their platinumpalladium prints. Although total darkness is not necessary, it should be lit to a. Palladium has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939 as an alternative to platinum in the alloys called white gold, where the naturally white color of palladium does not require rhodium plating. The platinum printing process was popular in the late 19th century. Because of the ease of palladiumplatinum printing, and the high quality achievable, there are very few workers using 100% platinum at the present time.
Platinum and palladium prints freestyle photographic. We may infer from this comment that stulik and vo found silver in the print, as well as. Platinum palladium printing profiling negs youtube. Finally, youll get some brief alternativ e ideas for combining platinumpalladium with other techniques such as van dyke and gum bichromate. A technical account of photographic printing in platinum and. Platinum prints, also called platinotypes, are photographic prints made by a monochrome printing process involving platinum.
Learning this printing process from scratch is not for the faint hearted, or those looking for quick gratification. Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into leaf as thin as 100 nm 1. Speaking to paul the other day i learnt that the paper they are printing on for these very large platinum prints is custom made and hand crafted by dieu donne in nyc. My attention has thus focused on the ancient printing techniques. The negative used for printing in platinumpalladium. Photographers who work with the historic, handmade or otherwise alternative printing processes know that a good print requires a good paper. Making a platinum palladium print with paul cunningham. Modern platinumpalladium printmaking with digital negatives quick start guide. How palladiums rally is setting platinum up for a comeback. If youve looked at your prints and crave more depth and beauty than your inkjet printer can deliver, then explore the wonderful world of platinumpalladium printing. This book is not a history nor yet a chemistry of the process, for which the reader must look elsewhere. The platinum tones range from warm black, to reddish brown, to expanded midtone grays that are unobtainable in silver prints. By studying the array of platinum, silver platinum, and palladium prints in the. These prints are characterized by their ability to reproduce a long.
What density curve are you printing your neg with in qtr. It is a matter of choice as to which metal you use or the ratio of the two of them together. I would leave platinum and ferric oxalate with contrast agent out of the mixture for the moment. We have dedicated years of research to develop our method of producing large format negatives using newly available digital technologies. Palladium is warmer, and gives better separation in the shadows of the print. Platinum printmaking made simple platinum and palladiums. Photographers interested in learning, or improving upon this process, will find this book an indispensable resource and reference guide. Making a platinum palladium print with paul cunningham the cunningham press.
An introduction to platinumpalladium printing final print. Hidden light, a custom print lab for fine art photographers specializes in the platinumpalladium process, and is the only commercial lab in the country making high quality prints up to 44 x 96 matt beaty, hidden light owner and platinumpalladium print maker, works. Over time i have come to just use a standard mix of 15% platinum for that reason of contrast and black density. Platinum is the more permanent of the two, gives a cooler image tone and better separation in the highlights. I find it fascinating to hand craft an analog platinum print, ultimately seeing the latent image on the exposed paper pop out when i pour the developer over the image. It is based on the chemistry of iron and can be used to make prints with platinum, palladium, both platinum and palladium, and to an extent some other metals. With this new platinum palladium printing blog i will be making posts about what i have found to work really well for me, as well as interviewing other platinum printers about their work and what is working well for them in their process. Platinum palladium prints artigianal black and white prints. Using the procedures described in these notes, platinum or palladium may be used.
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